Wines with Age

wines

Still a bit of a brick house, with very solid charcoal and loam notes forming the base while the core of dense fig, blackberry and black currant confiture flavors settles in. This is seriously long, and the smoldering tobacco and roasted alder notes just keep going and going through the finish. This hasn’t really started to unwind yet.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Best from 2020 through 2035. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is likely to be one of the most long-lived Pomerol from 2000. It has hugely rich fruit, it is has great density. But what will give it its longevity is the layer of tannin that sits, brooding, in the middle of the wine. Don’t even attempt to drink before 2012.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Trotanoy) I have had some rather sulking, desultory showings of big name 2000 claret in the last couple of years (a very grumpy bottle of Cheval Blanc immediately comes to mind), and this is a vintage that seems likely to be eventually consigned to the “vastly overrated” camp in the decades to come. That said, the 2000 Trotanoy showed brilliant potential at our tasting and is a wine that fully embodied the hope engendered by all of the early hype surrounding the vintage. The deep, classic and still youthful nose wafts from the glass in superb blend of cherries, red plums, nutskins, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, menthol and a lovely base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, young and tightly-knit, with a lovely core, outstanding focus and balance, ripe, very well-integrated tannins and simply stunning length and grip on the primary and oh, so promising finish. This will be another legendary vintage of Trotanoy in the fullness of time. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 95 JGThis starts off with fabulous aromas of milk chocolate, plums and subtle spices. Full bodied, with super silky tannins and a long, long finish. Tight but just starting to open up. I’m loving the fresh acidity at the end. Needs another five to six years bottle age. Pull the cork in 2016.James Suckling | 95 JSTasted at the Trotanoy vertical in Hong Kong, the 2000 Trotanoy seems to be improving with age. It has an outstanding bouquet with far more fruit intensity than I anticipated: mulberry, blackberry, briary, broom and white pepper all mingling together with superb delineation. The palate displays exquisite balance, fresh and focused with a clean and precise finish that is only just beginning to show what it can do. Like so many millennial Bordeaux it has matured at its own pace, however, on this showing it seems determined to reward those with the greatest patience. Tasted November 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM95% merlot and 5% cabernet franc): Deep, saturated red. Highly perfumed nose of black plum, lavender, cedar, chocolate and Oriental spices. Enters sweet, round and broad, then turns a bit tougher, with hints of earth and game complicating bright cassis and mocha flavors. There is an amazing freshness to this wine that helps extend the fruit flavors at the back, and the finish is long and smooth. In this vintage’s early days it was tightly wound and austere, but it’s now beginning to slowly blossom and become more expressive. This is often the case with Trotanoy, which usually needs a good ten years from the vintage to really come into its own. A very successful 2000.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe summer in 2000 was not as warm as 1998 but it was drier, as a result the wine is less opulent. This majors more on aromatic complexity and seems a little more approachable than the 1998, even if it still displays the clear muscularity of Trotanoy and promises plenty of time ahead of it. There is an appealing menthol edge to the nose here, with fresh mint leaf that also plays through the palate, suggesting that maturity levels were not quite as high as in 1998, although it’s hard not to see that this gives the wine a fresh edge today, and adds complexity as well as a touch of grace. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030Decanter | 93 DECNo written review provided | 91 W&S

Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries and vanilla, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, with lovely, sweet fruit and layers of velvety tannins. Goes on and on. Give this time, but beautifully balanced.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012. 830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAnother quasi-garage wine made from 10.6 acres of vines planted with 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, this wine enjoys malolactic fermentation in barrel, aging on its lees, and while unfined, does receive a light filtration.A superb effort, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers gorgeous aromas of flowers, blackberries, cherries, smoke, licorice, and spice box. It is deep, succulent, medium to full-bodied, with decent acidity, superb purity, and a creamy texture. Tannin is present, but it is well-integrated and balanced by the wine’s depth. Anticipated maturity: now-2014.Robert Parker | 90 RPMedium ruby. Plum, raspberry and graphite on the nose. Very silky and plummy, with excellent depth of flavor but very good rather than outstanding complexity. Suggestions of surmaturite give this a slight heaviness. "Very ripe but a bit simple and lacking something," notes Prissette, adding that the ’99 conveys a stronger impression of the site.Vinous Media | 90 VM

It’s fascinating to taste the 2004 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne after the 2002, something I have been able to do on a few occasions. The 2004 is all about minerality, precision and tension. It doesn’t have the sheer richness or power of the 2002, but it makes up for that with its crystalline purity and sheer energy. Bright hints of lemon oil, white flowers and crushed rocks are layered into the pointed, vibrant finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034.This is a fabulous set of new releases from Taittinger. The 2002 Comtes de Champagne is easily one of the very best young Champagnes I have ever tasted. Over the next year or so, Taittinger plans to list more information about their NV wines on the back labels, something that is a huge positive for the consumer.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPI am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity. I expect the 2004 will always remain a bit cool next to the more opulent 2002, but it is still drop-dead gorgeous.Vinous Media | 96 VM(Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Champagne, France, White) It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe apricot and citrus hints. It is tense and refined, with a vivid mineral core balanced by pristine acidity and some toasted notes on the finish. It’s not the most expressive today, but wait for it to awaken. This is built for cellaring. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 96 DEC(Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut) Like so many of the top 2004 bottlings from Champagne, the ’04 Comtes de Champagne is showing all the signs of a very long life of utterly classic evolution for this bottling. At our vertical here in New York in October, the wine was showing great potential, as it wafts from the glass in a blossoming mélange of pear, white peach, very complex, chalky minerality, brioche, a touch of vanilla bean, orange zest, discreet floral tones and a lovely, smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, and racy, with a very fine core, laser-like focus and grip, elegant mousse and great cut and bounce on the very long and still fairly youthful finish. Comtes de Champagne is always so well-balanced out of the blocks, that it always seems accessible, but this wine really deserves at least a solid handful of more years of bottle age before starting to drink, as it is only at the outset of its vinous journey. (Drink between 2018-2045)John Gilman | 95+ JGA rich and enticing aroma of roasted hazelnut heralds this elegant blanc de blancs, with flavors of pastry, poached apple, crystallized honey and candied ginger riding the finely detailed mousse. This is a touch smoky, presenting a resonant minerality on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Another stellar wine, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic development, as well as a bit of added weight it did not have as a young wine. The 2004 remains a bright, mid-weight DP built on persistence and length more than overt volume. I have always had a soft spot for the 2004. This tasting does nothing to dampen that enthusiasm.Vinous Media | 97 VMA return to regular form after the wild 2003 edition, this is business as usual in terms of the composed and complex swagger that is a hallmark of Dom. Good deep autolysis here, toasty yeasty characters wrap around a wealth of grapefruit and pithy lemon citrus notes; the chardonnay rings clear as a bell at around half of the blend. The palate has assertive, driving power and fully formed deep-seated phenolic presence with a chord of acidity steering it through a long, fresh and gently nutty finish. Classic Dom is back! Best drunk around 2019.James Suckling | 96 JS(Dom Pérignon Brut (Moët et Chandon)) The 2004 Dom Pérignon is another great classic in the making, and this is one of those vintages that will truly deserve all of thirty years’ worth of bottle age, so that it can fully blossom and deliver fully its formidable potential. The beautiful bouquet delivers a refined still youthful constellation of green apple, menthol, salty minerality, white flowers, a touch of iodine and already, the first hints of the crème patissière to come with more bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full and very racy in personality, with a lovely core, excellent complexity, refined mousse and superb focus and grip on the very long and energetic finish. This is still a puppy and needs several more years in the cellar to start to blossom, but it will be stunning once it reaches its plateau of peak maturity. Expect it to first start to properly open at age twenty and really hit its stride at age thirty and beyond. (Drink between 2024-2075).John Gilman | 96+ JGWith all the lush plenitude of the 2004 vintage, this wine’s explosive flavors give it a bold, broad, layered impression on the palate. But the tight structure and edgy tension of the acidity reins it in, capturing the wine’s aromatic power and extending it into graceful length. This is a precise and sophisticated Champagne suited to the cellar.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SA graceful Champagne, with minerally drive. Firm acidity and a rich vein of smoky mineral meshes with the plush texture, offering finely woven flavors of mirabelle jam, toasted brioche, crunchy pear, honey and smoked almond. Delivers a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2029.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2004 Dom Pérignon is one of the more reductive, autolytic vintages of this wine to have been released in the last decade, offering up a toasty bouquet of pears, green apple, iodine, peach and smoke. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny textured and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, a fine mousse and a vinous profile. The 2004 is drinking well today: as I wrote earlier this year, between the rich, ripe 2002 and the powerful but racy 2008, the 2004 is an excellent but more classically proportioned example of Dom Pérignon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIn 2004, quality and quantity were happy bedfellows, especially in the vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. Geoffroy said that by now he had the confidence and experience to stand back a little and allow nature to do its worst, or in this instance, its best. He describes ’04’s appeal in terms of a ‘substantial embrace’ and there’s certainly a generous, almost sensual character to this wine. It’s finely manicured with a glorious nose, the faintest touch of reduction and woodsmoke held in perfect counterpoint by a nascent fruit character. Dramatic tension cedes to radiance and harmony. Served from jeroboam. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DEC(Moët & Chandon Brut - Dom Perignon (magnum) Champagne/Sparkling) In the same fashion as the 2006, here too there is noticeable reduction though in contrast to its younger brother, the reductive notes completely dominate. Otherwise there is very good intensity to the particularly well-delineated middle weight flavors that are supported by an admirably fine mousse while delivering good if not sensational length on the youthfully austere, linear, compact and notably dry finish. I appreciate that this is exceptionally primary and this sense of youthful backwardness is of course enhanced by the magnum format. That said, this seems to lack nuance and the nose is so reduced that it’s not easy to imagine how that level of funk eventually dissipates. In short, while this may eventually come together I found the ’04 Dom to be somewhat disappointing. (Drink starting 2024).Burghound | 90 BH

A fabulous example of l’Evangile at its best. Dense ruby/purple with some amber at the edge, this wine has a gorgeous nose of black truffles intermixed with caramel, malt chocolate, sweet black raspberries, and blackberries. The wine is full-bodied, with loads of glycerin giving it a very opulent, almost viscous feel on the palate. It still tastes youthful, but has always been accessible throughout its entire life. The wine does have plenty of tannin, but most of it is concealed by the wealth of fruit extract and the wine’s viscosity. It is a sensational l’Evangile that is just beginning to develop the secondary nuances of adolescence. Anticipated maturity: Now-2024. Last tasted, 11/02.Robert Parker | 96 RPBig and ripe. Dark ruby-garnet color. Very ripe berry, chocolate and plum aromas. Full-bodied and chewy, with lots of tannins and a very ripe fruit finish. Tight, muscular and concentrated. Needs time.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2005. 4,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château l’Evangile) The 1990 Château l’Evangile is one of the top Pomerols of the vintage and the wine has aged beautifully and is now well into its plateau of peak drinkability. This is a remarkable wine for its purity and precision, which are not always the calling cards of the 1990 vintage on the Right Bank. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a focused blend of black cherries, black plums, roasted gamebird, chocolate, a lovely base of soil and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely plush on the attack, with a fine core, impeccable focus and balance, melting tannins and impressively bright and zesty acids on the very long and complex finish. This is a terrific vintage of l’Evangile! (Drink between 2016-2050).John Gilman | 94 JG1990 was a very good vintage, although a bit more difficult to manage than the 1989. Flowering was uneven and as crop thinning was not as widely used as today, there were some ripening difficulties. But the sharp edges of youth have softened now, leaving a rich, round sense of self, with cassis-rich fruit. Black truffle notes after five minutes in the glass. Many years of drinking pleasure still to be had. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DECGood thick red. Very ripe aromas of melting caramel, tobacco, game, cinnamon and violets. Great sweetness and spice in the mouth; dense but not quite as fat as some right-bank ’90s; very stylish, actually, with decent acids. Tannins are quite firm. As accessible as this appears to be, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it close up in the next 18-24 months.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 1981 stood out as slightly superior. Winemaker John Duval always felt this was a tannic style of Grange, but the wine has shed its tannins, and this is one of the few vintages where the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was above 10%. Sweet notes of creme de cassis, cedarwood, charcoal, and barbecue spices are followed by a full-bodied, opulent wine displaying heady amounts of alcohol, glycerin, and density in its full-bodied, skyscraper-like texture. I was drinking this wine with great pleasure in the mid-nineties, yet here it is nearly 15 years later, and the wine does not appear to have budged much from its evolutionary state. This is a testament to how remarkably well these wines hold up, and age at such a glacial pace.Grange, Penfolds’ flagship wine, is, by many accounts, the most renowned and world-famous wine produced in Australia, and these six vintages from my cellar all acquitted themselves well. These wines are almost always Shiraz, but many vintages include less than 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are cross-appellations blends from vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale.Robert Parker | 97 RP

1998 is most likely the best vintage ever for Ornellaia. Petit Verdot was not yet used in the blend. Evolved bramble fruits meld with forest floor, helichrysum and Mediterranean herb aromas. On the palate this wine dazzles with the vibrancy of the best Pomerol-like minerality, with a tight-knit structure of velvety yet lively tannins amongst the fruit, and delicate acidity pushing a slightly pyrazinic finish with long, dark notes of Marmite and cigar-box supported by some citrus notes. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030Decanter | 99 DECThis is just a baby with so much extract and density yet always polished and beautiful. Full body, velvety tannins with a dusty and gritty texture. Complex flavors of fruit, tar and smoked meat. Solid all around. Powerful still. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSA cool and sleek Tuscan red, with tarragon and fresh sage aromas, blackberry and cherry undertones. Full-bodied, with a wonderfully silky palate of fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Very sophisticated and reserved. Best after 2004. 13,330 cases made, 3,165 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOne of the highlights of the evening, the 1998 Ornellaia is not the most profound wine on the table, but it is among the most pleasing because it is in such a perfect place for current drinking. The aromatics are super-refined, but everything about the 1998 speaks to total polish. Hints of cedar, tobacco, licorice, mocha and savory herbs give the wine its nuanced personality. From magnum, the 1998 has another decade of fine drinking ahead of it.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGMade in a relatively structured style for the normally succulent Ornellaia, the dense saturated ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers up aromas of pain grille, spice, smoke, black fruits, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, exceptionally pure, and long, it will be at its finest between 2005-2018. Very impressive, but it requires patience.Robert Parker | 93 RP

The 2001 Lafite-Rothschild has a little more precision on the nose compared to the millennial Lafite. It’s vivid and focused, featuring blackberry, briar, cedar and mint, and a touch of cola in the background. The palate is well balanced and svelte in texture, building beautifully with aeration to a gorgeous, truffle-tinged finish that is a little spicier than three years ago, when I last tasted this vintage. Maybe it just tails off toward the finish when compared to the 2000. Still, this is an elegant, blue-blooded Lafite-Rothschild that exudes class.Vinous Media | 96 VMStick your nose in this and it says something--"I am special." Deep and generous aromas of blackberries, fresh tobacco and minerals. It’s full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a superlong finish. Like a fine cashmere sweater. Best after 2010. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(Château Lafite Rothschild, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Perpetually underrated, the 2001 Lafite is positively radiant at this point, with a forward, curranty fruit character touched with spice and just a suggestion of smoke, leather, and earth. The texture has lovely depth, vibrant acidity, and firm tannins that draw out the finish. It is coming into its own at just past 20 years of age now. July was cool, but August was hot before the cool, rainy weather arrived in September, and many observers wrote off the year. Picking began the last week in September. At Lafite, 43% of the harvest made it into the grand vin. This wine has 20 or 30 years left in a proper cellar. (Drink between 2022-2052)Decanter | 95 DECThe 2001 Lafite Rothschild’s deep, saturated plum/purple color is accompanied by lead pencil liqueur-like notes intermixed with sweet red and black currants, plums, and cedar. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot is a classic example of Lafite. Extremely elegant, medium-bodied, with intense concentration, richness, and sweet tannin, it appears to be on a rapid evolutionary track, at least in comparison to recent Lafite vintages that have been far more backward and powerful. The classy 2001 should be at its finest between 2007-2020.Robert Parker | 94 RPNo written review provided. | 93 W&S

Only 43% of the production made it into the final blend of this remarkable 2002. Produced from a low 17 hectoliters per hectare, it includes 66.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 13.9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It has the highest alcohol ever achieved in a Leoville Las Cases (13.5%) as well as a lofty pH of 3.85. Nevertheless, the impression is one of a structured wine with considerable density, a ruby/purple color, layers of flavor, and a classic overall personality. The wine exhibits pure black currant, licorice-infused fruit, huge body, a viscous mid-palate, and a long, heady finish. I suspect this wine won’t be nearly as charming as the 2003 in its youth, but it hasn’t yet closed down, and I am amazed at just how rich, intense, and full-bodied it tastes even after bottling. This is certainly one of the half dozen or so candidates for wine of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030+.Robert Parker | 95 RPAromas of tobacco box, currants, cedar and mushrooms. It’s medium-to full-bodied with austere tannins and black-chocolate and licorice flavors. So much licorice, in fact. Linear and tight with a racy finish. Delicious now. Why wait?James Suckling | 94 JSThis is the essence of currants and berries with minerals and flowers. Full-bodied, with silky, refined tannins. Superlong and impressive. A beauty. Love it. As it should be. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WSNot the easiest summer, although hot weather in September meant that this is a better vintage on the Left Bank where Cabernet was able to ripen - and here 81% of the blend is either Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc. Intense cassis, clear Las Cases signature, slight austerity still with a beautifully silky texture and a crushed mint leaf freshness. This has the understated savoury Cabernet character of the vintage, not as intense as some Las Cases vintages for certain, but this is packed with confident fruit and tannins and it is starting to open up, softening and showing its personality. As it evolves in the glass, the delicate complexity of the structure starts to exert its charm, and gentle truffled liquorice notes sit next to smoked blackberries. I started this as a Coravin sample, but in the end felt that was unfair, because it needs to be opened for a few hours before really starting to show what it’s about. Think of this as a great way to access Las Cases at an earlier window than usual, but it is not one to cellar indefinitely. Tasted twice, once at home and once at the château. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend - the last time that this variety is in the 1st wine of Las Cases, as they were then field grafted over to Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvest 28th September to 11th October. 3.49pH, IPT70. Drinking Window 2021 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DECModerately saturated red-ruby. Captivating if cooler nose of blackcurrant, licorice and minerals. Very intensely flavored and gripping if currently quite tight. The black fruit and menthol flavors show an almost medicinal austerity and uncanny penetration on the palate. Very ripe for 2002, at 13.5%, with a pH of 3.85. Today, I find a more classically firm finish and a bit more personality than in the young 2004, but then the new vintage has a long way to go before it’s in bottle.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This wine goes from strength to strength, and is developing even better than I initially expected. More backward than most of the big, Cabernet Sauvignon-based 1990 Medocs, it is full-bodied and viscous, but not as thick or oily as the 1982 can be. The 1990’s fresh, pure black raspberry, incense, and minerality characteristics result in a young, legendary wine. Still deep ruby/purple to the rim as well as extraordinarily intense, it is 4-10 years away from full maturity, and should evolve for another 30+ years. It is an amazing achievement!Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 1990 Lafleur was similar to the bottle shown at the Lafleur/Petrus/Le Pin dinner. It is a vintage that I used to adore and in many ways, still do. However as I remarked during this vertical, it is one of the few vintages where the character of the growing season is translated over the signature terroir of Lafleur. Nevertheless, the nose is fresher and more vital than the previous bottle with glossy black fruit laced with undergrowth scents, this particular example exhibiting a light star anise aroma that intensifies with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with supple ripe tannin, layers of rich black fruit, powerful and voluminous. I feel that the Merlot is more expressive than the Cabernet Franc: smooth and sexy in texture, moderate acidity and glycerin towards the lush finish. It is a gorgeous Pomerol to drink, offering more sensory joy than intellectual stimulation. Hey, but sometimes that is exactly what you want. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.Vinous Media | 94 VMStill very closed, but big and rustic. Medium-red color. Aromas of meat, tobacco and fruit. Full-bodied, very chewy; mouthpuckering. Needs time.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2005. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A wonderful and fascinating wine with a tangy sweet and sour character. Full and very sweet, with a dried citrus character and an underlying orange marmalade note. Long and delicious already. Lovely balance for having such a ripe finish. This can age forever, but why deny yourself?James Suckling | 96 JSIntense aromas of pecan pie, dried apricot, apples and syrup. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with a dense mouthfeel of very ripe fruit and a long, powerful and spicy aftertaste. Very, very impressive. Not quite the 2001, but who’s arguing? Best after 2010. 6,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Suduiraut) The 2003 Suduiraut is the finest example of this vintage in Sauternes that I have yet tasted, though this is admittedly from a fairly small sampling of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and very refined in its mélange of pineapple, apricot, peach, coconut, gentle soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and most impressively light on its feet, with fine mid-palate depth, with lovely focus and just a touch of youthful bitterness still to resolve on the long, succulent and bouncy finish. The acids here are not as zesty as in the 2005, but there are sufficient to frame the wine beautifully and to keep it fresh and lively far into the future. I would give this wine three or four years to fully blossom and then drink it over the next several decades. (Drink between 2013-2040)John Gilman | 93 JGEx-chateau bottle tasted blind in Sauternes. To be honest, this vintage of Suduiraut has never been thrilling and is certainly not in the same class as the 2001 or 2009, to give two examples. The nose is powerful and rich with scents of Clementine, beeswax and quince that certainly pack a punch. The palate is spicy on the viscous entry with bitter orange, marmalade and stem ginger, although the glycerine-rich finish is missing some freshness and tension. This remains an unashamedly hedonistic Suduiraut. Tasted April 2013.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMThe 2003 Suduiraut has a strange bouquet with melted wax, quince and wet wool aromas, rather smudged and becoming Aszú-like with time in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry and starts well. It is missing some precision, a little spicy in style however, the warmth of the growing season erodes some of the tension towards the ginger-tinged finish that feels a little abrupt. 136gm/L residual sugar, 4.02gm/L total acidity. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Intense aromas of kirsch, currant and spice follow through to a full-bodied palate, with round, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is complex, changing on the nose and palate. Layered and structured. Will improve for many years to come.--Non-blind Château Montrose vertical. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 96 WSUnder the ownership of Jean-Louis Charmolüe (who remained in place from 1960 until 2006 and who just died in January of this year). Gorgeous, brick-edged, soft brambled fruit, cassis and bilberry tinged with hedgerow, undergrowth, truffles. 100% 1st wine at this point, as Dame de Montrose arrived in 1986 - and yet the quality of the structure and tannins is still clearly on display. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECThe 1982 Montrose served as my introduction to the vintage many moons ago and strangely, after all that time, this is the best bottle that I have encountered. Dark fruit on the nose with candied orange peel, cigar humidor and just a touch of sous-bois, this feels very focused and conveys more intensity than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of dark red fruit, youthful and structured, maybe a little disjointed towards the finish, which for the first time, does not display any under-ripeness. Very fine. Tasted blind at the "Two" dinner at Domaine de Chevalier.Vinous Media | 92 VMA wine that has long enjoyed a somewhat mixed reputation, the 1982 Montrose continues to drink very well at age 40; in fact, this tasting note reflects the best bottle I’ve ever drunk of this vintage. Exhibiting aromas of sweet berry fruit, cedar box and loamy soil, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with lively acids, melted tannins and a soft, subtly leather-inflected finish. While it isn’t as concentrated or characterful as the brilliant 1989 or 1990, for example, it’s a generous, open-knit wine that’s far from being in danger of imminent decline.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

This is a marvelously complete wine, with its impressive ripe fruit, shining through the open structure. It is firm, but not too much. Stone black fruits are just perfectly ripe. There is just a core of dryness to compliment the rest of the wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEOffers a pretty sweetness of fruit, with raspberry and currant coulis notes gliding along a polished structure. Alluring mesquite, incense and rooibos tea elements flow through, revealing a light iron echo on the finish. Modestly sized but well-constructed.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2025.Wine Spectator | 93 WSModerately saturated ruby-red. Aromas of redcurrant, cedar and tobacco. At once juicy and soft, with currant and tobacco flavors. Offers a silky texture and lovely volume but not quite the structure or grip of the 2002. But this is lush, captivating claret.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Awesome, richly textured, powerful still with its ripe yet now-savoury red fruits on display, the sweetness edged out by truffles and spice. A great wine that remains full of life. One of the best Pauillacs in the vintage. 8% Petit Verdot finishes the blend (although in all likelihood this is the vineyard planting, not the specific blend that was being recorded). Harvesting began on October 1. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBold pepper, savory and roasted cedar notes lead the way, with a core of steeped plum, macerated black currant and bitter cherry fruit. Extra tobacco, alder and juniper accents stud the finish, which still has plenty of grip.—Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Pichon-Lalande) We did not have the 1983 Pichon-Lalande in our vertical tasting, as the host discovered he only owned the wine in magnum, and given the number of wines that we had in our lineup, it seemed that opening a magnum would only result in the wasting of half of its contents as people tried to stay fresh for the older wines coming round the bend. So, this note dates back a few years to the last time I drank the 1983 Pichon-Lalande out of bottle. It is a truly lovely wine that is now fully mature and drinking beautifully. The deep, pure and complex nose wafts from the glass in a very stylish blend of cassis, fresh herb tones, mocha, cigar ash, gravelly soil nuances and a lovely base of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and classically plush on the attack, with a fine core, lovely breed and complexity, tangy acids and just a bit of remaining tannin perking up the long and classy finish. This has always been one of my favorite vintages from this era at Pichon-Lalande and the wine is drinking at its apogee at age thirty, but still has decades and decades of life ahead of it. Fine juice from a great stretch at this superb Second Growth. (Drink between 2013-2040).John Gilman | 93 JGThe 1983 Pichon-Lalande shows much better here than a bottle I tasted a couple of years ago. This has an open, generous bouquet featuring mineral-infused black fruit laced with black truffle. The fresh, vibrant palate is very well balanced, offering graphite-tinged black fruit and a fine bead of acidity. This is no lightweight Pichon-Lalande; though not intense or powerful and conveying a sense of unpretentiousness, it shows more energy and focus than the 1982. I have found bottles a little up and down, including one corked bottle in September. But this is undeniably a fantastic showing, the best example I have encountered in more than 20 years of tasting this vintage. Tasted at Brat restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis wine seems to be just beginning to turn the corner and was excellent in its most recent tasting. For much of its life it has been a stunning wine, not far off the mark from the prodigious 1982. The color is still a healthy dark garnet with some amber creeping in at the edge. The wine shows a very distinctive nose of asphalt, tobacco, and cigar box, intermixed with some sweet cherries and black currants. In the mouth it is medium to full-bodied, but the fruit seems to be ever-so-slightly fading. In the finish, the tannins and acidity are beginning to poke through. Nevertheless, this is still underrated and always a sleeper vintage for Pichon-Lalande, but it requires consumption. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 9/02.Robert Parker | 90 RP

This shows some noticeable maturity at first, with black tea and mulling spice notes out front, but there’s a lovely spine of briary tannins and finely beaded acidity that pulls this back to a fresher side as the core of raspberry pâte de fruit slowly wakes up, throwing off additional cherry, currant and plum nuances. By the time this all knits through the finish, you realize it’s just a bit too soon to open this beauty. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA major vintage, where the tough spring gave way to a beautiful summer. Here it’s the Cabernet Franc that’s dominant, giving lift and aromatic complexity that seems to take a hold as it rolls through the palate. Raspberry leaf, blackcurrant and liquorice are all dominant. It’s still extremely young, so you can take your time opening any bottles that you have of this beautiful wine. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 96 DECI am really loving the nose here, sweet ripe fruit, raspberries and strawberries, and flowers. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and great freshness on the long finish. This is starting to open up now, this is pure and precise with just a hint of fresh herb showing the Cabernet Franc character. This still needs five years. Pull the cork after 2015.James Suckling | 95 JSA gorgeous wine of grace, elegance, and power, this youthful 2000 will benefit from another five years of cellaring. It appears to have 25 more years of life ahead of it. A deep ruby/purple color is just beginning to lighten at the edges. The bouquet offers up scents of cedar wood, melted licorice, black currants, blackberries, caramel, and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, and pure with low acidity as well as formidable tannins in the long finish, the 2000 should rival vintages such as 2005, 2006, and 2009.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2000 Vieux-Château-Certan is a Pomerol that I had not encountered for some time. Perhaps this vintage has lost some of its initial luster, not least because the consensus from winemakers and consumers alike is that the appellation performed far better in 2001. This millennial VCC has a saturnine nose even after almost two decades, offering dusky black fruit, hints of chimney soot and tobacco, and later a whiff of licorice. It remains stubborn and sultry. The palate is quite muscular for a VCC, although fine acidity lends it tension. Where one might criticize Alexandre Thienpont’s wine for its lack of refinement and panache, for failing to realize the potential it showed during its first decade. As such, I would afford it another three or four years in bottle to see if it brightens up.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Vieux-Château-Certan (Pomerol)) The 2000 vintage of Vieux-Château-Certan is quite shut down at the present time and is not too interested in being bothered during its hibernation. It may end up being in the same league as the 2000 Figeac, but for the moment, it is hard to see all of its facets, as it is compacted down on itself and rather grumpy. With some extended aeration, the wine reluctantly offers up scents of dark berries, cassis, cigar ash, a fine base of dark soil tones and a bit of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and plenty structured, with a rock solid core, firm, well-integrated tannins and good length and grip on the well-balanced finish. It is possible that this wine will end up being even better than I predict, as it is sleeping deeply at the moment, but it seems to me that this may well be one of those wines from 2000 that never quite sheds the more sullen side of the vintage. Time will tell. (Drink between 2030-2085).John Gilman | 92+ JG

No written review provided. | 97 W&SRich and decadent on the nose, with raspberry jam and Indian spices. Full-bodied, with an almost dusty texture. Long and seamless, with beautiful, firm tannins and a racy finish. Wonderfully delicate sweet fruit on the finish. Needs a few more years to open.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 1,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA fine offering, the 1998 has closed down, but there is no doubting its fabulous potential. The color is a dense purple. The wine reveals high tannin, huge body, and classy black fruits intermixed with minerals, spice box, cedar, and tobacco. A long, persistent, tannic finish gives this majestic effort a closed but formidable personality. Patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.Robert Parker | 92 RPBright ruby-red. Cassis, raspberry, cedar, lead pencil and spicy oak on the nose. Rich, sweet and deep, with firm acids giving grip and verve to the plum, raspberry, lead pencil and bitter chocolate flavors. Wonderfully concentrated, lively and very long. The yield here, according to Thienpont, was just 34 hectoliters per hectare.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Vieux Château Certan) As noted above, 1998 was destined to be the inaugural vintage of VCC for the new cépage of sixty percent merlot, thirty percent cabernet franc and ten percent cabernet sauvignon, but due to the season, the grand vin actually ended up being comprised of eighty-five percent merlot, ten percent cabernet sauvignon and only five percent cabernet franc. At age eleven the wine looks to be very promising indeed, but one has to wonder whether or not a VCC such as 1998 with so little cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon will eventually show the classic profile of this estate. The deep and vibrant nose jumps from the glass in a really lovely blend of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, espresso, soil and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and nascently complex, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins, lovely focus and great length and grip on the palate-staining finish. At this point in the wine’s evolution there is still a bit of oak tannin that needs to be more fully absorbed into the depth of fruit here, but the wine is impeccably balanced and this should only be a matter of a few more years of bottle age. This is a very strong and fairly classic example of the vintage that still demands many more years in the cellar before starting to drink it. It will be very interesting to follow this wine and see how it ultimately stacks up with some of the great past vintages of VCC. (Drink between 2016-2050)John Gilman | 92 JG

Incredible concentration and richness in this wine. This is good stuff, loads of complexity with notes of flowers, vanilla, and ripe fruit. Still drinking like a baby, this is full, soft, and long. Opulent and gorgeous right now but give this five years and you’ll be better off. Pull the cork in 2015. So much fruit for a Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.James Suckling | 99 JSA stunning wine with extraordinary concentration, but still somewhat backward, this 2000 needs much more time than I projected seven years ago. It boasts an inky/dark purple color along with an intense nose of kirsch, blackberries, licorice, caramel, and flowers. Full-bodied with abundant tannin as well as a multidimensional, thick texture, this unevolved Pomerol has not changed much since its 2003 release. Gorgeous purity and a natural mouthfeel make for a dazzling wine that will benefit from another 5-10 years of cellaring, and last for three decades thereafter. It is a legendary effort!Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2000 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked from 18 September and matured in 80% new oak. This has a magnificent bouquet with black fruit infused with bay leaf, smoke, freshly rolled tobacco and a touch of spice. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite firm in the mouth with blackberry, clove, allspice and white pepper. This has always been a very complex millennial Pomerol with a very grippy, quite masculine finish and therefore decanting is advised. Denis Durantou informed that this was the only vintage neither fined nor filtered. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis has everything. Super class and elegance, yet ripe and exciting. Fantastic aromas of blackberries, cherries, violets and minerals. Full-bodied, with incredible raspberry, cherry, mineral and silky tannins. Very long. Winemaker Denis Durantou is a purist, and it shows. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 97 WSOne of the wines that turned me on to the brilliance of Denis Durantou when tasted during a vertical with him and Michel Rolland back in 2014. I tasted it again this week and it more than lived up to my memories, with its understated power and rapid expansion through the palate as its exotic character becomes clear, coupled with the precise brush strokes that Durantou always managed to coax out of his wines. He died in May 2020, just as I was beginning to taste En Primeur 2019, and it seems only right to raise a glass to his memory. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECDenis Durantou’s obsessive search for perfection paid off handsomely with this stunning 2000. Despite the richness of the fruit, there is still a sense of lightness to the wine which makes it surprisingly easy to comprehend at this stage. The Cabernet Franc perfumes couterpoint the rich Merlot, while the wood underpins everything.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

The luxury cuvee from Faugeres (owned by Bernard Magrez), the 2000 Peby Faugeres is the real deal. Sadly, only 500+ cases were made of this compelling St.-Emilion. An inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of espresso roast, blueberry liqueur, smoke, and graphite. Thick and unctuously-textured with impressive purity and depth as well as full-bodied power and richness, it needs another 2-3 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis jumps out of the glass, with berry, Indian spices and raspberry character on the nose. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a caressing texture. Slightly short on the finish. A bit too much wood, but impressive. Best after 2008. 1,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSNice berries and cherry character on the nose that opens up to hints of green tea and a stemmy undertone. Full-bodied, with good fruit and a soft finish. Go ahead and pull the cork on this one.James Suckling | 90 JSImpressive saturated ruby. Roasted black cherry, dark chocolate, mocha and espresso on the nose. Lush and silky on the palate, with intense, nicely delineated dark berry and torrefaction flavors. Impressively concentrated and rich. Dense, vinous and solidly structured wine, with plenty of extract to support the firm tannins. Finishes with excellent length.Vinous Media | 90-91 VM

This bottle of 1971 Petrus is perhaps the best that I have encountered, completely overawing the 1970 served alongside. It boasts a gorgeous bouquet with delineated red berry fruit, pressed rose petals, hints of kirsch and a touch of sandalwood, perhaps even a little exotic compared to previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with seductive fleshiness on the entry, a surfeit of black truffle infused red fruit and life-affirming purity. Unlike other bottles, this example seems to meliorate with aeration, gaining intensity and depth towards the precise and tender finish. I doubt that I will find another 1971 Petrus as good as this. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at Hide restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis wine has been seemingly fully mature since the mid- to late seventies. It is a seductive, opulent vintage for Petrus. The color now is a dark garnet with considerable amber at the rim. The incredible nose of Christmas fruitcake intermixed with mocha, jammy kirsch, and black currants is followed by a silky textured, full-bodied, very opulent wine that is still totally intact. The tannins have totally dissipated, and the wine is an unctuous, seductive Petrus that is certainly one of the vintages that is most delicious and compelling. A sensational wine and probably the wine of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: Now-2011. Last tasted, 11/02.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis wine is as comfortable as your favorite pair of slippers. Extremely caressing, with wonderfully enticing aromas and flavors of tobacco and violets and a rich, round palate.--Pétrus vertical. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A sensational effort, and one of the two finest Clinets made before the 2008, this prodigious wine made by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute has always been a sprinter out of the gate. Even at age 19, it continues to strut its stuff. A dense blue/garnet/purple hue exhibits slight lightening at the edge, and the gorgeous nose offers up aromas of sweet blueberries, licorice, smoke, acacia flowers, and camphor. Full-bodied with silky tannins, low acidity, and terrific purity, this 1990 has hit its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for another decade.Robert Parker | 97 RPMy previous encounter with the 1990 Clinet was out of magnum, circa the release of my Pomerol tome around a decade ago. It was impressive. However, this bottle suggests that this lauded Pomerol is beginning to stumble after 30 years. Rather volatile on the nose, the 1990 offers smudged black cherries, kirsch, green olives and dates, heady and ostentatious, though missing a bit of refinement. The palate is quite hedonistic, loaded with glycerine, a core of sweet black fruit with touches of fresh date and camphor, some VA just evident on the finish. Highly enjoyable for sure, though I would not leave bottles too long to drink. It is a Pomerol rather emblematic of the time.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautifully crafted red. Brilliant ruby color. Aromas of fresh berries, blackberries and chocolate jump from the glass. Full-bodied and chewy, but velvety and caressing. Lots of ripe fruit.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2002.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

(Château Figeac) 1995 was the fiftieth vintage for Thierry Manoncourt and the château designed a special label to mark the anniversary. Happily, Monsieur Manoncourt was blessed with a great vintage to mark his fiftieth, as the 1995 Figeac is a stunning wine. The bouquet is deep, complex and blossoming beautifully at age seventeen, jumping from the glass in classic mélange of red plums, black cherries, Cuban tobacco, bitter chocolate, cigar smoke, sweet nutty tones, complex soil nuances and a deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and starting to really develop its secondary layers, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and complexity, bright acids and excellent length and grip on the perfectly poised and suavely tannic finish. A beautiful vintage of Figeac. (Drink between 2015-2055)John Gilman | 95 JGBest Figeac in years. Loads of blackberry, chocolate and stones. Full-bodied and concentrated with masses of tannins and fruit. Long, long finish. Needs time. Best after 2002. 9,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSTasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property from one of the last remaining imperials, one could argue that the six-liter format would have benefit the 1995 Figeac. Even so, that should not take anything away from this, the best vintage of that decade. Firstly, one notices that it is deeper in color than the underwhelming 1996. Then you fall into the aromatics, a beguiling concoction of blackcurrant pastilles, melted tar and tobacco all beautifully preserved after two decades. What differentiates it from the succeeding vintages is that here there is the fruit to back it up. The palate is fresh and quite dense in the mouth. The acidity is perfectly matched to the fruit, lively with a touch of piquancy on the ebullient, red cherry and wild strawberry finish that still has a bit of glycerin. The 1995 is the best vintage between 1990 and 2001, and represents a worthy wine to celebrate Thierry Manoncourt’s 50th vintage. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMVery good full color. Lively, thoroughly ripe aromas of redcurrant, sweet butter, minerals and spices. A step up in concentration from the last two wines; full and sweet, with a mineral pungency brightening the fruit. Offers lovely finishing sweetness and dusty, ripe tannins that reach more of the mouth. Very rich but graceful wine.Vinous Media | 91 VM

I tasted the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou on four separate occasions from bottle in January. The 1996 is long, with a deep mid-palate. It also reveals tannin in the finish. This wine is remarkable. It is muscular, concentrated, and classic. Bottled in late June, 1998, it exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a knock-out nose of minerals, licorice, cassis, and an unmistakable lead pencil smell that I often associate with top vintages of Lafite-Rothschild. It is sweet and full-bodied, yet unbelievably rich with no sense of heaviness or flabbiness. The wine possesses high tannin, but it is extremely ripe, and the sweetness of the black currant, spice-tinged Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is pronounced. This profound, backward Ducru-Beaucaillou is a must purchase. It will be fascinating for readers who own the 1996 to follow the evolution of this exceptional vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.Robert Parker | 96 RP(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou) The 1996 Ducru-Beaucaillou is just beginning to stir from its closed adolescence and is showing very good promise for its eventual period of peak drinkability, but that is still more than a decade away. The nose is starting to develop some secondary layers of complexity in its mélange of cassis, dark berries, currant leaf, cigar smoke, a touch of Ducru’s nutskin, complex soil tones, herbs and a nice framing of cedary, spicy wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite black fruity in personality, with an excellent signature of soil, a very tobaccoey personality, fine-grained, but quite substantial tannins, lovely acidity and a very long, soil-driven and classic finish. This is a superb vintage of Ducru that should really get interesting to drink around its thirtieth birthday and prove to be very, very long-lived. Impressive juice. (Drink between 2025-2100)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 1996 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a vintage that I have not tasted for a number of years. Matured in two-thirds new oak, it has an open and expressive bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, estuarine scents, touches of liquorice emerging with time. It is higher-toned than the 1995 with iodine evolving with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, fresh acidity, quite sweet in the mouth and maybe like the 1995, just missing that complexity and terroir expression that I think has defined recent vintages from this estate. Maybe it is slightly compromised by some Merlot (25%) that was picked a but later, but still, there is a lot of pleasure to be found in this 1996. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 93 VMIntense aromas of cedar, vanilla, leather and blackberry. Full-bodied, with coffee, vanilla, ripe fruit and a medium finish. Just about ready. The 1995 is certainly better.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 18,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe Ducru 1996 is less extravagant than the 2000. It shows a full body, with firm tannins and pretty floral, leaf, light earth and berry character. Needs drinking. 90 pointsJames Suckling | 90 JS

Although in the shadow of the millennial vintage, 2001s can be just as good (and on the right bank arguably better). This has a very deep, unevolved colour. The nose has sweet, charming, berry fruit with mint, vanilla and a hint of tobacco. It’s rich and svelte on the palate, concentrated and juicy with fine underlying tannins. There’s an intense sucrosity but with no trace of jamminess. The very long aftertaste is silky with fine, lifted acidity. This is a stylish wine that’s now beginning to show maturity. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2001 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is now fully mature yet in the mid to early stages of its drinking plateau. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that checked in at healthy yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare, its ruby hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of blackcurrants, cedarwood, spice box, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. This is quintessential Pauillac on the nose and classic, medium-bodied, and elegant on the palate, with terrific balance, a beautiful sense of elegance, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s drinking at point for my palate and I don’t see any upside, yet it will certainly evolve gracefully for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA very successful effort for this vintage in the Medoc, this deep ruby/purple-colored Pauillac exhibits class/nobility/breed along with black currant liqueur, licorice, and incense notes. Sweet, expansive, fleshy, and medium to full-bodied, with good structure, ripe tannin, and a long, 30-35 second finish, it can be drunk now, but will be even better in 2-3 years; it will last for 12-15 years. I had this wine three separate times out of bottle, and it is performing significantly better than it did from cask.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2001 Pichon Baron has less fruit intensity on the nose compared to the 2000, and more red fruit, laced with smoke and blood orange – traits that I have noted on previous bottles. Hints of dried blood emerge with time. The focused palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and quite minty. Graphite and a sprinkling of white pepper appear toward the finish. This is one occasion on the Left Bank where I find that the 2000 has more authority, although the 2001 has plenty of charm.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is complex and beautiful now with liquorice and currant, with delicate sweet tobacco character on the nose and palate. Medium-to-full body with subtle, entrancing flavors and textures. So right now. Almost a soya undertone to the subtle fruit. A gorgeous claret at its peak.James Suckling | 92 JSDark-colored, with floral and lanolin aromas with hints of fruit. Full-bodied, with chunky tannins and a long finish. A bit short and austere. Needs bottle age to show its full potential. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 90 WS